Former UK Shadow Chancellor, Cabinet Minister and Chief Economic Adviser to the UK Treasury, Ed Balls has over twenty years of experience at the nexus of international finance, economic policy-making, business and politics. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School and a Senior Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics.

On the international stage, he was the chair of the IMFC deputies committee, for which he traveled extensively to both developed economies and emerging markets. He has regularly represented the UK at Finance Minister level meetings of both the G20 and the European Council. He has served as a minister and cabinet minister in the governments of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown.

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Rave Reviews About Ed Balls

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Ed was terrific! Informed, entertaining, challenging, interesting .. He is a brilliant speaker, and we hope to engage him in the future.

Following the historic vote, Britain is leaving the European Union. Given that the UK is the US biggest European trading partner, what are the implications for UK politics, Europe and US and global business? ...

Following the historic vote, Britain is leaving the European Union. Given that the UK is the US biggest European trading partner, what are the implications for UK politics, Europe and US and global business?

Opportunities and Risks in the Global Economy

The world economy continues to recover slowly and fitfully from the global financial crisis. The Euro-zone crisis remains unresolved. China is slowing. Emerging markets remain vulnerable to economic shocks. And central banks have been cautious about raising rates. Are we locked into an extended peri ...

The world economy continues to recover slowly and fitfully from the global financial crisis. The Euro-zone crisis remains unresolved. China is slowing. Emerging markets remain vulnerable to economic shocks. And central banks have been cautious about raising rates. Are we locked into an extended period of slow and fragile growth? Will economies cope with a steady and cautious rise in interest rates? Or are the seeds of the next bout of instability already being sown?

Why We Must Deliver Inclusive Prosperity

Wage growth has been stagnant for over a decade in America, Britain and across many parts of the developed world as inequality has continued to grow. And the result has been growing anti-politics and anti-business sentiment and the rise of extreme parties on both the far-right and far-left peddling ...

Wage growth has been stagnant for over a decade in America, Britain and across many parts of the developed world as inequality has continued to grow. And the result has been growing anti-politics and anti-business sentiment and the rise of extreme parties on both the far-right and far-left peddling populist and anti-trade solutions. What are the drivers of this wage stagnation? Can we build a more inclusive prosperity for the future? And what are the consequences for government and business if we fail?

Politics, Business and Public Opinion in the 21st Century

The rapid globalization of our economies and politics, and the digital-age rise of social media alongside the decline of traditional news media, have transformed the environment in which business and political decisions are made. The pace of change is much faster and reputations, painstakingly built ...

The rapid globalization of our economies and politics, and the digital-age rise of social media alongside the decline of traditional news media, have transformed the environment in which business and political decisions are made. The pace of change is much faster and reputations, painstakingly built over years, can be lost much more quickly than ever before. What can lessons can politics and business teach each other about how to navigate this new and fast-paced 21st century world — and how do we capture the benefits?

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Ed Balls launches his third Harvard Brexit Paper

Former UK Shadow Chancellor and Economic Secretary to the UK Treasury ED BALLSlaunched his third Harvard Working Paper on the impact of Brexit on British businesses. Entitled "On the Rebound: Prospects for a US-UK FTA," the paper takes a deep dive into the prospects for, and potential impact of, a free trade agreement between the US and the UK, highlighting the key potential upsides, possible risks and principal negotiating issues from both US and UK perspectives. With over twenty years of experience at the nexus of international finance, economic policy-making, business and politics, Balls is a renowned leading expert on Brexit and its impact on the global economy. He has regularly represented the UK at Finance Minister level meetings of both the G20 and the European Council, and served as a minister and cabinet minister in the governments of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Balls launched "On the Rebound" with an event at King's College, illuminating the paper's seven key findings, which quickly made headlines. He is regularly in-demand to deliver keynotes on the future of the global economy and the future of Britain post Brexit, earning rave reviews such as: "Ed was terrific! Informed, entertaining, challenging, interesting .. He is a brilliant speaker, and we hope to engage him in the future" (The Institute of International Finance).

Ed Balls in the news

With over twenty years of experience at the nexus of international finance, economic policy-making, business and politics ans as a current Senior Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, Ed Balls is a trusted source for media appearances. You can catch his latest here.

Ed Balls is Senior Fellow at Harvard University Kennedy School's Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government and Visiting Professor to the Policy Institute at King’s College London.

He was UK Shadow Chancellor from 2011 to 2015 and co-chaired the American Progress Inclusive Prosperity Commission with former US Treasury Secretary, Larry Summers, which reported in January 2015. He served as a member of the Prime Minister’s Holocaust Commission and is now a member of the Holocaust Memorial Foundation Board.

He served in the British Cabinet as Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (2007-2010). He was previously the UK Economic Secretary and Minister for Financial Services (2006-2007) and the Chief Economic Adviser to the UK Treasury (1997-2004), during which time he was the Chair of the International Monetary Fund Deputies and UK G20 Deputy.

Ed was the Labour & Co-operative Member of Parliament for Morley and Outwood (2010-2015) and MP for Normanton (2005-2010).

As Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury (1997-2004), Ed led the design of policies including independence of the Bank of England, the New Deal jobs program, the Five Tests Euro assessment, Sure Start, tax credits and the national minimum wage.

As a Treasury Minister, he was commissioned by the G7 Finance Ministers in 2006 to prepare a report with Sir Jon Cunliffe (now deputy Governor of the Bank of England) on Economic Aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

At the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Ed brought together schools and children's policy for the first time in the Children's Plan and led policies to raise the UK education and training leaving age to 18, establish the independent Office for Qualifications and Examination Regulation (Ofqual), reform the Academies program, establish the National Challenge initiative to turn around under-performing schools, reform the social work profession and transform services and short breaks for disabled children and their families.

As Shadow Chancellor, Ed was awarded the Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year in 2011 and the Political Studies Association Politician of the Year, 2011

Born in Norwich in 1967, his family moved to Nottingham when Ed was 8. He attended Crossdale Drive primary school and then Nottingham High School. Ed went on to study economics and philosophy at Keble College, Oxford, and economics and politics (MPA) at the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard, where he was a Kennedy Scholar.

Ed was a teaching fellow in the Department of Economics, Harvard University (1989-90) and co-author with Professors Lawrence Summers and Lawrence Katz on labour economics. He was Economics leader writer and columnist at the Financial Times (1990-94) where he was the WINCOTT Young Financial Journalist of the Year. He has also written regularly for the Guardian, New Statesman and Tribune and co-authored a number of books, papers, articles and pamphlets.

Ed is married to Yvette Cooper MP, the Shadow Home Secretary. They have three children and live in London and Castleford. His interests include learning the piano, marathon running, cooking and supporting Norwich City. He is a member of the Privy Council and an Honorary Fellow of Keble College, Oxford.